Experience pays off for Christmas fan
BY ALEX CANTATORE
The votes are in, and Turlock Journal readers have spoken. This year’s Turlock Journal Holiday Lights contest winner, and holder of the title of best Christmas display in Turlock is Cheri Dixon of 2065 Zinfandel Ln.
The home was submitted to the Turlock Journal by Dixon’s brother-in-law Don Ercoli.
“My sister-in-law has done a job to their yard,” Ercoli said. “You almost have to have a pair of sunglasses to look at it.”
“Well, we have a lot of family…” joked Dixon in modest acceptance of her victory as a nod to some of her voters.
In truth, however, her Zinfandel Lane home’s extravagant holiday display won the contest simply due to Dixon’s outstanding decorating skills, gleaned from years of experience. Dixon used to live on Bryce Avenue in Turlock, where all the homes are decked out in holiday goodies.
“I’m 45 and I’ve been doing this since I can remember,” Dixon said. “It’s been at least 25 years.”
Dixon has been decorating her current Zinfandel Lane home for 13 years, starting off with a simple antenna tree on her roof that remains a part of the spectacle today. While the tree has lost a few strands of lights over the year -now looking more like a pyramid than a tree, she says-Dixon has supplemented her display with all sorts of blow up holiday decorations and flashing lights.
In addition to a Santa teeter-totter, a snowman that blows real snow, and a lighted nativity scene, Dixon’s display features a light display that blinks along to holiday music.
“Everything lights up to the music,” Dixon said. “Some lights flash with high notes, others to the bass, all in time with the music.”
Dixon estimates that she spent about $600 on this year’s display, which she deemed modest in comparison to some past years’ shows.
“This year is nothing,” Dixon said, citing strains on her decorating caused by the economy and a personal illness. “We still have two crates full of stuff in the garage.”
Dixon says that she buys something new every year, doing her best to score inexpensive items in the days after Christmas when stores are clearing out their unsold stock. Goods from Big Lots, QVC, HSN, Long’s, and Walgreens have all contributed to the extravagant display.
The big win hasn’t gone to Dixon’s head, as she is already making plans for next year’s display. She estimates she will spend about $1,000 in the coming year, with additions such as a flagpole lighted all the way to the top, with a LED American flag.
“I’m also going to put net lights and snow blankets across the yard, all over, so the whole yard glows white like snow,” Dixon said.
Even though Christmas has come and gone and the display received some mild damage from the recent wind, those who have yet to see the award winning holiday display still have a chance. Dixon plans on keeping the decorations up until the third weekend in January so that her son, who is currently away with the Navy, will have a chance to see the holiday lights when he returns home in mid-January.
With the amount of work that goes into the display, it only seems fitting to leave the show up for just a bit longer. Dixon’s partner in decorating, Frank Mendes, and son J.J. Dixon put in days of work, more 12 hours in total, setting up the display, while Dixon sat on the sidelines.
“But I supervise,” Dixon said, “and that’s what’s most important.”
To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.
Originally published in the Turlock Journal 12/26/2008.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.